Peeni Henare is standing as Labour's Tāmaki Makaurau candidate again.
Peeni Henare is standing as Labour's Tāmaki Makaurau candidate again.
The byelection in the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate could create new and interesting dynamics in Māori politics and foreshadow a working relationship between Labour and Te Pāti Māori.
Labour and Te Pāti Māori are best-suited political bedfellows, despite some policies being poles apart. Labour leader Chris Hipkins said both parties mustwork towards jobs, health and homes for all New Zealanders, including Māori.
If there is to be a chance to topple the National-NZ First-Act coalition at next year’s election, Labour, Te Pāti Māori and the Greens need to work out a political strategy at what they have in common – and that can start with Tāmaki Makaurau.
The Government is yet to announce the date of the byelection.
But Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee published the notice of vacancy in the New Zealand Gazette last week, meaning Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro will issue a writ within 21 days of July 9, instructing the Chief Electoral Officer to conduct the byelection.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon needs to set this date quickly and not let the byelection dominate the headlines for the next month.
Takutai Tarsh Kemp (right) narrowly defeated former Labour minister Peeni Henare for the Tāmaki Makaurau seat at the last election. Photos / RNZ, Te Pāti Māori
The Tāmaki Makaurau byelection was triggered by the sudden death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp last month. She won the seat in a major upset at the 2023 election, defeating then Labour Cabinet minister Peeni Henare by 42 votes.
National, Act and NZ First won’t stand candidates, and the Greens said they won’t stand a candidate either.
Te Pāti Māori started its selection process at West Auckland’s Hoani Waititi Marae last week and chose former TV3 broadcaster Oriini Kaipara.
Oriini Kaipara will stand for Te Pāti Māori in the upcoming byelection.
Kaipara is a good choice because she has name and face recognition and is young, appealing to Te Pāti Māori’s emerging youth voter.
Labour closed off its nominations over the weekend and confirmed Henare as its candidate. He is the favourite to win. Before his 2023 loss, he was the incumbent electorate MP for nine years.
At the 2023 election, 27,038 Māori voted in the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate – leaving almost 17,000 who didn’t bother or just don’t care. In 2017, only about 20,000 Māori voted.
History shows voter turnouts for byelections are notoriously low.
If Te Pāti Māori is to snatch another upset victory, it will have to find the thousands of Māori voters across Tāmaki Makaurau who don’t or haven’t voted.
If not, Henare will claim the electorate seat, which has already had his name on it from 2014 to 2023.
